Air heater using volatile fuels



9, 1966 M. c. L. SCHMITT AIR HEATER USING VOLATILE FUELS Filed Jan. 21.1965 INVEN TOR AmRNExs United States Patent 3,265,058 AIR HEATER USINGVOLATILE FUELS Manfred Carlhorst Linus Schmitt, Kelheim (Danube),Germany, assignor to Aktiebolaget Bahco, Stockholm, Sweden, acorporation of Sweden Filed Jan. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 426,959 Claimspriority, applicgaiio/izgweden, Jan. 24, 1964,

4 Claims. (Cl. 126-110) The present invention relates to a heater forvolatile fuels and especially intended for motor vehicles and comprisinga substantially horizontal combustion chamber surrounded by one or morejackets concentric therewith to form one or more channels for air to beheated, a volatilization chamber directly connected to the combustionchamber, a fuel supply means, a starting device including a heating wireand a fan for supplying air for the combustion and heating, the fan andthe combustion chamber being arranged parallel to each other. As anexample of such a heater reference is hereby made to the Swedish Patent176,718.

A problem in such known heaters is the exchange of defective and wornparts. Those parts which are most exposed in these respects and mostoften must be replaced are the fuel supply means with its electriccontrol means and the starting device with the heating wire. Thedisadvantage with the present types of heaters is the fact that thesemeans are situated between the fan and the combustion chamber which hasthe elfect that the exchange of these means is very complicated.

This problem is solved according to the present invention, in that thefront portion of the combustion chamber, as seen in the direction offlow, the volatilization chamber, the starting device and the fuelsupply means are arranged in an end portion of the heater which portionis detachably connected to the remainder of the heater.

The invention is by way of an example shown on the attached drawing inwhich FIGURE 1 shows the heater in longitudinal section and FIGURE 2shows the same in longitudinal section with its front portion separatedfrom the remaining portion.

The heater according to the present invention comprises a substantiallyhorizontal combustion chamber 1 surrounded by a jacket 2, which togetherwith the wall of the combustion chamber forms an annular channel 3around the combustion chamber for the air to be heated. At some distancefrom the front end of the combustion chamber there is provided aclearance 5 for the supply of secondary air. In front of and partlysurrounding the adjacent part of the combustion chamber there is formeda volatilization chamber 6 into which projects a heating wire 7 of astarting device. A nozzle forming a part of the fuel supply device 8 isprovided above said heating Wire 7. A fan 9 to supply combustion air aswell as air to be heated is arranged at the side of the combustionchamber and parallel to the same. Fan 9 comprises first blades 9 whichdeliver air to the volatilization chamber 6 and the combustionchamber 1. Specifically, blades 9' force air through opening 12, a partof which enters chamber 4 through opening 13 and a part of which enterschamber 4 via openings 14. A further part of this air enters chamber 1through clear- See ance 5 as secondary air. A larger blade unit 9"mounted at the right of fan 9 supplies the air to be heated to channel 3through a tangential duct (hidden in the figure) arranged at the leftend of channel 3. Bafile 15 serves as a mount for fan 9 and a boundarybetween spaces effected by blades 9' and 9". The exhaust gas outlet isdesignated 10 and the hot air outlet '11.

The various means described above are combined into two separate unitseasily detachable from each other, i.e. a smaller unit 12 comprising thefront portion of the combustion chamber, the volatilization chamber, thestarting device and the fuel supply device and a greater unit 13comprising the remainder of the combustion chamber with connecting ductsand outlets etc. and the fan.

Thus, by this invention it is obtained that those parts which accordingto experience are most subjected to damage and wear can be easilydetached as a separate unit from the remaining portion of the heater andthus form an exchange-unit.

Iclaim:

1. A liquid fuel heater for automobiles and the like comprising a firstunit having a housing with an open end facing the rear of the heater, afuel supply mounted on the inside of said housing, a volatilizationchamber and a heater means supported below said fuel supply and withinsaid housing, a front combustion chamber having a front end supportedadjacent to and communicating with said volatilization chamber; a secondunit comprising a jacket, a fan supported within said jacket, saidjacket defining an air intake port contiguous said fan for enabling airto enter said jacket in response to the drawing of said fan, anelongated rear combustion chamber supported below said fan, said jacketbeing spaced from and defining with the outer walls of said rearcombustion chamber a channel for enabling the air therein to be heatedby the walls of the rear combustion chamber, a heated air exhaustcommunicating with said channel and the space to be heated, an exhaustfor products of combustion communicating with said rear combustionchamber and the ambient, said first unit being detachably fitted to saidsecond unit so that the rear :of said housing releasably engages theforward end of said jacket and the rear of said forward combustionchamber detachably communicates with the front of said rear combustionchamber.

2. A heater as set forth in claim 1 wherein the front and rearcombustion chambers are coaxial and are parallel to the axis of saidfan, said fan adapted to draw air in an opposite direction to thedirection of air movement Within said channel and combustion chambers.

3 A heater as set forth in claim 2 wherein the rear of its forwardcombustion chamber comprises a tubular portion which penetrates thefront of said rear comlbustion chamber.

4. A heater as set forth releasable securing means engagement.

in claim 3 further comprising maintaining said units in fittedReferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JAMES W.WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

1. A LIQUID FUEL HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A FIRSTUNIT HAVING A HOUSING WITH AN OPEN END FACING THE REAR OF THE HEATER, AFUEL SUPPLY MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF SAID HOUSING, A VOLATILIZATIONCHAMBER AND A HEATER MEANS SUPPORTED BELOW SAID FUEL SUPPLY AND WITHINSAID HOUSING, A FRONT COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING A FRONT END SUPPORTEDADJACENT TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VOLATILIZATION CHAMBER; A SECONDUNIT COMPRISING A JACKET, A FAN SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID JACKET, SAIDJACKET DEFINING AN AIR INTAKE PORT CONTIGUOUS SAID FAN FOR ENABLING AIRTO ENTER SAID JACKET IN RESPONSE TO THE DRAWING OF SAID FAN, ANELONGATED REAR COMBUSTION CHAMBER SUPPORTED BELOW SAID FAN, SAID JACKETBEING SPACED FROM AND DEFINING WITH THE OUTER WALLS OF SAID REARCOMBUSTION CHAMBER A CHANNEL FOR ENABLING THE AIR THEREIN TO BE HEATEDBY THE WALLS OF THE REAR COMBUSTION CHAMBER, A HEATED AIR EXHAUSTCOMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHANNEL AND THE SPACE TO BE HEATED, AN EXHAUSTFOR PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REAR COMBUSTIONCHAMBER AND THE AMBIENT, SAID FIRST UNIT BEING DETACHABLY FITTED TO SAIDSECOND UNIT SO THAT THE REAR OF SAID HOUSING RELEASABLY ENGAGES THEFORWARD END OF SAID JACKET AND THE REAR OF SAID FORWARD COMBUSTIONCHAMBER DETACHABLY COMMUNICATES WITH THE FRONT OF SAID REAR COMBUSTIONCHAMBER.